The Package: There are several Proxim Symphony packages on the market. I used a Symphony PC card for an IBM ThinkPad laptop with a cordless Ethernet Bridge, so the notebook could join the other systems on my Ethernet LAN. If you want to put a desktop machine on Proxim's wireless network, you have to (you guessed it) open up your computer and insert a Symphony Cordless ISA or cordless pi card. But there's an upside: Each internal card is topped with an antenna, which you can adjust, like those old TV rabbit ears, for better reception -- a definite advantage over Diamond's fixed antenna.

The Reality: Setting up the hardware took about 10 minutes. The Ethernet Bridge, which is smaller than a paperback, plugged right into my ISDN router; the Symphony PC card slipped easily into the laptop's slot. Installing the software and running tests to ensure that everything worked took about 30 minutes.

The Connection: When I put more than a couple of walls between my laptop and the Ethernet receiver/transmitter, I lost the connection. (When I put the other packages through the same test, they each held the connection but slowed down considerably.) Then again, swapping files between computers was a tad faster than the Diamond system, and my Internet connection didn't seem to drag as badly.

The Bottom Line: Proxim is more expensive than any of the other home or small-office networking systems, but it's worth the extra dough if your computers can't take another cable or connection. Still, Proxim is slower than Intel's AnyPoint -- enough to make a difference if speed is a concern when you're sharing a printer or trading multimegabyte files.

Coordinates: $149. Symphony Cordless PC Card; $399. Symphony Cordless Ethernet Bridge, Proxim, www.proxim.com

So there you have it. These off-the-shelf packages will connect you with your other computers and your coworkers, but you'll find that the connection isn't nearly as speedy as a corporate network. And while these networking tools are user friendly, they're not exactly plug and play. Installing a system requires a bit more effort than connecting a VCR to your television. You'll probably need a weekend to get everything working smoothly.

Is the end result worth the effort? That's a question that only you can answer. But I, for one, will never let my computers work in isolation again.

John R. Quain (jquain@fastcompany.com) is a contributing editor at Fast Company. he appears regularly on CBS News and MSNBC.

Action Item: Fit to Be Tied

Most off-the-shelf network packages will add to your rat's nest of cables. To keep everything neat and tidy, get yourself a set of Belkin Velcro Cable Ties, which come in packs of six and cost less than $7.

Belkin's Out-of-Sight Cord Concealer holds half a dozen cables in a flexible, six-foot-long plastic tube. At $10 a shot, the tubes prevent pets from chewing up cables and bringing down the network. The Concealer also includes color-coded labels, so you can keep track of which cable goes to which device.

Coordinates: Belkin Components, www.belkin.com

Sidebar: When to Go Wireless

If you're looking for advice on setting up a wireless network at your small office, look no further than Joe Krysztoforski, managing director of PDS Research Associates, a management advisory firm in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Using the Proxim Symphony system, Krysztoforski has connected three laptops and two desktop systems to a standard, eight-computer Ethernet network. Here are four of his top tips for going wireless.

Check Your Office: Make sure that the systems you want to connect are fewer than 150 feet apart. Anything beyond that distance won't give you a reliable connection. check your building To avoid interference, make sure that there aren't many concrete and steel walls separating your various computers. Brick and wood structures create the least interference.

Do a Head Count: Go wireless only if you have fewer than six people who work online, simultaneously sending email, sharing a printer, and surfing the Web. If you have a larger staff, look for a package that runs off of phone lines.

Know the System's Limits: If you want to connect more than 10 PCs, or if you've got eight people who are constantly pounding away on a database server, you'll find that the Symphony wireless is too slow.

Coordinates: Joe Krysztoforski, jtk@pdsresearch.com; PDS Research, www.pdsresearch.com